Medical cannabis is legal under state and local law. Voters in California legalized the use, cultivation, and possession of cannabis for those with a doctor’s recommendation or approval when they adopted Proposition 215 in 1996, also known as The Compassion Use Act. Within California, the Act allows for the recommendation by a physician for the medical use of marijuana by a patient, and the cultivation, transportation and use of marijuana for medical purposes by patients and caregivers.
The Compassionate Use Act exempts patients, caregivers and physicians who recommend the use of marijuana for medical purposes from criminal laws, punishment, or the denial of any rights or privileges. Senate Bill (SB) 420 (Chapter 875, Statutes of 2003) was written into law in December of 2003 (see California Health and Safety Code, Article 2.5, Sections 11362.7 through 11362.83) and is part of California law to this date.